Retail Marijuana Stores with Medical Endorsement Washington state

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SB 5052 is moving along in Olympia and some are concerned that it may complicate the way Washington patients access affordable cannabis.

This is directly from Leg.WA.Gov

Sponsors:		Senators Rivers, Hatfield, Conway
	2015 REGULAR SESSION
		Jan 8	Prefiled for introduction.
		Jan 12	First reading, referred to Health Care. (View Original Bill)
		Jan 22	Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health Care at 10:00 AM. (Committee Materials)
		Jan 29	Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Health Care at 10:00 AM. (Committee Materials)
			HLTH - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (View 1st Substitute) (Majority Report)
			And refer to Ways & Means.
			Minority; without recommendation. (Minority Report)
			Referred to Ways & Means.
		Feb 3	Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 3:30 PM. (Committee Materials)
		Feb 9	Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 3:30 PM. (Committee Materials)
		Feb 10	WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (View 2nd Substitute) (Majority Report)
			Minority; do not pass. (Minority Report)
			Minority; without recommendation. (Minority Report)
			Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
			Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
		Feb 13	2nd substitute bill substituted (WM 15). (View 2nd Substitute)
			Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
			Third reading, passed; yeas, 36; nays, 11; absent, 0; excused, 2. (View Roll Calls)
	IN THE HOUSE
		Feb 17	First reading, referred to Health Care & Wellness (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report).
		Mar 5	Public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 8:00 AM. (Committee Materials)
		Mar 13	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 10:00 AM. (Committee Materials)

Some of the things I don't like about 5052 are the way they are trying to suggest medical marijuana should be grown by Large Warehouses instead of by patients who share with patients.
Here is a piece directly from 5052:

(a) Application forms for marijuana producers must request the applicant to state whether the applicant intends to produce marijuana for sale by marijuana retailers holding medical marijuana endorsements and the amount of or percentage of canopy the applicant intends to commit to growing plants determined by the department 6 under section 10 of this act to be of a THC concentration, CBD concentration, or THC to CBD ratio appropriate for marijuana 8 concentrates, useable marijuana, or marijuana-infused products sold to qualifying patients.

I don't like this section because it talks about determining appropriate THC and CBD concentrations, that is up to patient discretion.

I don't like the idea of 502 growers expanding their grows to include medical. There are already plenty of medical growers around Washington, we don't need 502 growers to grow medical.

(b) The state liquor and cannabis board must reconsider limits on the amount of square feet permitted to be in production on the effective date of this section and increase the percentage of production space for those marijuana producers who intend to grow plants for marijuana retailers holding medical marijuana endorsements if the marijuana producer designates the increased production space to plants determined by the department under section 10 of this act to be of a THC concentration, CBD concentration, or THC to CBD ratio appropriate for products to be sold to qualifying patients.

^^^^^^^This is talking about expanding the amount of grow space in Washington so medical marijuana can be grown. This does not need to happen. The exact amount of medical marijuana being grown in Washington does not need to be known, a limit does not need to be set.


If current marijuana producers do not use all the increased production space, the state liquor and cannabis board may reopen the license period for new marijuana producer license applicants but only to those marijuana producers who agree to grow plants for marijuana retailers holding medical marijuana endorsements. Priority in licensing must be given to marijuana producer license applicants who have an application pending on the effective date of this section but who are not yet licensed and then to new marijuana producer license applicants.

^^^^^^^This is talking about 502 growers who fail to use their expanded space to grow medical and how the space can be re-allocated among other willing growers.


(d) The number of retail outlets holding medical marijuana endorsements necessary to meet the medical needs of qualifying patients. The state liquor and cannabis board must reconsider the maximum number of retail outlets it established before the effective p. 19 2SSB 5052


SECTION 21 (1) The department must contract with an entity to create, administer, and maintain a secure and confidential medical marijuana authorization database that, beginning July 1, 2016, allows: ... (d) Appropriate local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement or prosecutorial officials who are engaged in a bona fide specific investigation of suspected marijuana-related activity that may be illegal under Washington state law to confirm the validity of the authorization card of a qualifying patient or designated provider

^^^^^^^"Bona fide specific investigation" is a bullshit phrase that is not defined in law. It does not necessarily mean "probable cause" is required, especially considering the language, "may be illegal under WA ST law". So a federal agent can use your cooperation of showing you are on the registry as evidence of a federal crime being committed, then seize your property, arrest you and get a federal prosecutor to prosecute...and you have to cooperate. You being on the database gives them the probable cause they need for federal charges.









Here is Jedidiah Haney talking about lawmakers in Olympia Today Friday, March 13, 2015

Post by Jedidiah Haney.